Chris Fletcher

William E. Tolman High School
150 Exchange St.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 02860
(401) 729-6400


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Tolman High School with the Pawtucket Armory on the right





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Center court of the Tolman gym

Introduction

The William E. Tolman High School was founded in 1926 on the bank of the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The school it is a large high school serving grades 9-12 that has 1,034 students and 123 teachers in the Fall of 2014. It is one of two public high schools serving the city the other being their main athletic rival, Shea High School. Tolman is located in a easily accessible location right next to the former Pawtucket Armory off of I-95.The quality of public schools is something that is at the forefront of many concerns citizens minds. Education is the key to the future for children in the world and it is important for parents as well as educators to understand that there are many factors that go into the success or failure of a school.


Community Background


Income/Poverty 2008-2012
Pawtucket
Rhode Island
US
Median household income
$40,383
$56,102
$53,046
Median family income
$50,062
$72,872
$64,585
Per capita income
$22,281
$30,005
$28,051
All families below poverty level
15.2%
9.2%
10.9%
All people below the poverty level
18.7%
13.2%
14.9%
People without health insurance
15.3%
5.2%
14.9%
Food Stamp (In past 12 months)
20.6%
12.5%
11.4%
Unemployment
7.7%
9.5%
14.9%

Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a historic city well known for the Slater Mill which was the start of the Industrial Revolution in the United States in the 1790s. The city grew to be a factory town over the years with many people coming to settle here for steady work. As the years have gone by these factories have shut down creating a different, less prosperous economic landscape in the city. The median household income in the city is about $13,000 less than that of the United States and the $16,000 less than that the rest of the state. The per capita income here is also less than both the rest of the state and nation by $8,000-10,000. These factors can be used to help explain the the percentage of families below the poverty level and people without health insurance, both of which are higher than the state and national averages. The percentage of people receiving some sort of government food assistance is quite staggering at 20.6% of the total population in the city. This a significant percentage over the state average of 12.5% and the national average of 11.4%. A silver lining of Pawtucket here could be that the unemployment rate is lower than both of the averages.

Race/Ethnicity 2010
Pawtucket
Rhode Island
US
White
66.5%
81.4%
72.4%
Black
13.4%
5.7%
12.6%
Asian
1.5%
2.9%
4.8%
Latino
19.7%
12.4%
16.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native
0.6%
0.6%
0.9%
Puerto Rican
6.6%
3.3%
1.5%
One Race
93.9%
97.5%
97.3%
Two Races
6.1%
2.5%
2.7%

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Pawtucket is mostly a white city but there is a good amount of diversity and it is rapidly changing. Here the Latino, Puerto Rican and Black populations are all above the state and national averages. The American Indian and Alaska Native population is the same of that as the state 0.6%. I have been to Tolman through my student observation hours at the University of Rhode Island. I have found these figures to represent the community as a whole well besides the white percentage. Most of the students I have seen in Tolman have been either Latino or Black, a few White students and very little Asians. These different groups also tended to sit in different areas of the classroom. I also noticed for example when a Black student got a question the Hispanic students would laugh and snicker and a similar reaction would happen on the other end. It was not always like this but sometimes you could feel a bit of tension between them. A recent alumni of Tolman told me that the reason for so little white students is because most of these families will send their children to private schools in the area. He said that you can get an excellent education in Pawtucket but you need to have the money. This is referring to St. Raphael's Academy a coed private, Catholic School also located in the city. This stereotypes the different ethnic groups but from my own observation at the school this seemed to help describe the student body well.

Census-Based Indicators 2010
Pawtucket
Rhode Island
Child population
16,575
223,956
Children in single-parent families
43%
31%
Children living in families below the federal poverty threshold
27.4%
18.4%
Children living in grandparent headed households
7%
6%


When compared to the rest of state, Pawtucket has more children living in single-parent families at 43%. This is higher than Rhode Island which has only 31% of children living in single-parent families. The community is also higher than the state in terms of children who are living in families below the federal poverty level. Poverty is very noticeable in Pawtucket with many low income housing neighborhoods. The average of children living with their grandparents in the community is very close to the state average at 7% and 6% respectability.


Economic Well-Being & Health 2013
Pawtucket
Rhode Island
Children in families receiving cash assistance
6%
4%
School breakfast program participation

(% income-eligible children participating)
25%
39%
SNAP benefits (food stamp users)
44.7%
28.6%
Children under age 19 receiving medical assistance
10,436
96,215
Births to mothers with less than a high school diploma
19%
15%
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000 live births)
6.8%
6.4%
Teen Birthrate (per 1000 girls ages 15-19)
44.2
23.3

In Pawtucket, the children in families receiving cash assistance is very consistent with that of Rhode Island. An interesting comparison here is between the percentage of SNAP users and that of the children participating in the school breakfast program. Pawtucket has almost double (44.7%) the amount of people using food stamps than the rest of the state (28.6%). However, the percentage children participating in school breakfast programs is only 25% and the rest of the state is at 39% participation. One would think because of the poverty level and food stamp users this figure would be much higher in Pawtucket. It is possible that this program is not advertised as well as food stamp benefits and many parents do not know its existence. It is also possible that some parents feel that their children could feel face ridicule from their peers because it shows they are "poor". Another similar static is the teen birth rate, at 44.2 compared to the state at 23.3. This means that if you were to take 1000 girls in Pawtucket between the ages of 15-19 about 44 of them would have had children themselves. Tolman in attempting to address this issue with their students actually has as a day care in the basement level of the school. The teen mothers drop their child off when they come into the school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. When visiting the school I only say three toddlers in the facility at 7:45 the person there said that more children would be dropped off within the hour and that they get around 7 per day. They are trying to do what they can but it is not actually solving the problem of teen pregnancies. More education is needed here for these young girls to prevent this issue from continuing. The infant mortality rate very close to the state average so this is not out of the ordinary.


Safety 2012-2013
Pawtucket
Rhode Island
Child abuse and neglect rate (per 1,000 children)
21.8
14
Domestic violence incidents (per 1,000 residents)
23
31
Children with incarcerated parents (per 1,000 children)
21.7
11.2
Pawtucket's child abuse and neglect rate is higher than that that of the rest of the state at 21.8 per 1,000 children compared to 14. I found the domestic violence number to be surprising. While its is positive that it is lower than the rest of the state at 23 incidents per 1,000 residents compared to 31; I do believe that this needs to be looked into. This figure is the number of incidents that are reported and investigated. It is very possible that this number is really much higher but because of fear from the victims or mistrust of the police from some in the minority communities the domestic violence will go unreported. The children with parents who are incarcerated (21.7) is double that of Rhode Island (11.2) per 1,000 children.

Education 2013
Pawtucket
Rhode Island
Head Start participants
189
2040
Chronic early absence in grades K-3
10%
12%
Suspension rate (per 100 students)
14
23
High school graduation rate
75%
80%
Special Education
17%
17%
English Language Learners
13%
7%
Chronic absence (high school)
42%
24%
Licensed Early Learning Centers
16
309

The education in Pawtucket is mostly reflective of the rest of the state but there are outliers. The suspension rate, (14) is surprising lower than the rest of the state (23). While spending time in Tolman I had learned from an administrator that the suspension rate in the years prior to 2013 had gotten so high that the state had gotten involved and said to stop giving so many out. I was told that now a student must do something very radical in the school to be suspended as they do not want to bring the state back into the school to say that they are problematic.This gives the school the look of having less problems but the true nature of it is not reflected in the data. Chronic absenteeism for high school was at 42% for 2013 while the state was at 24%. This was another feature I have noticed when being at Tolman; teachers will frequently say phrases like, "if you come to the next class" or "hand this in next time you see me". This shows that teachers understand that students might not even show up for their classes and it is to be expected.


District Summary



Four Year Graduation Rate

(students entering grade 9 in 2009-2010)
Rhode Island
Pawtucket
Barrington
Central Falls
Percent graduated
79.7%
75.5%
95.3%
73.7%
Percent dropped out
9.1%
12.5%
1.6%
15%
Percent received GED
2.9%
4.6%
0.4%
1.9%
Percent still in school
8.3%
7.4%
2.7%
9.4%
The Graduation Rate can show the success or failure of a school district. This chart compares the districts of Pawtucket with Barrington, a wealthy mostly white suburban community, and Central Falls, a low income urban mostly Hispanic community, it relation to the rest of the state. Barrington is the obvious leader in terms of percentage graduated and has a very low dropout rate. Pawtucket and Central Falls are geography close to on each other and share similar characteristics. They are both below the state average in terms of percentage of students graduating but are higher in terms of dropping out. A teacher at Tolman said that there will be much more students in freshman and sophomore classes. This is because students tend to start dropping out around junior year. Pawtucket also has a high percentage (4.6) of students receiving a GED.

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Per Pupil Spending 2011-2012
Total per pupil

(District)
Total per pupil

(Rhode Island)
Pawtucket
$12,441
$15,370
Barrington
$13,586
$15,370
Central Falls
$18,910
$15,370
Pawtucket spends less per pupil in their district at $12,441 compared to the Barrington at $12,586, and Central Falls at $18,910. It is important to recognize that spending per pupil does not measure success as Central Falls spends the most but does not achieve high test scores. Barrington on the other hand spends less but is able to achieve out of their students. This has to do with many factors including home life, the condition of school and its teachers as well as the community. Pawtucket spends less but it shows. While visiting Tolman school I saw some classrooms that were run down with old textbooks and technology. The bathrooms were also very dirty eith broken stalls. But other rooms had newer books and Smart boards so the schools is trying to get ahead but it will take time for funds to be put in the right place, that its if it they will ever be.



School Analysis


NECAPS 2012-2013
Rhode Island
Tolman
Barrington
Central Falls
11th grade math
35%
17%
79%
12%
11th grade reading
81%
75%
98%
53%
11th grade writing
66%
59%
82%
35%
11th grade science
30%
15%
58%
8%

High stakes standardized testing for better or for worse has become has the forefront at which we judge the quality of schools. This started with No Child Left Behind under President Bush and continued with Common Core by President Obama. The higher the test scores are, the better the school must be and this shows the quality of teachers. It was designed to improve test scores and give more federal funding to states who did better on the standardized tests. The NECAP is one such test taking by students in many New England states including Rhode Island. Tolman's scores for 11th graders in the subject areas are lower than both Barrington and the state's averages. Central Falls still has lower scores than Tolman however but this still does not hold well. The math and science scores in particular are most alarming. Only 17% of 11th graders passed the math portion and 15% with the science. These are areas which must be addressed further to improve the entire school moving further. This test is designed to be be able to taken by the average student this does not give a good showing of the school itself and its teachers. But it is important to know that many factor could also go into this score with students not being brought up with good programs in these subjects so they are not able to perform. It is also possible that the students traditional find these subjects difficult and do not wish to learn the necessary skills to pass the exam.



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The fourth floor history wing

Conclusion


Pawtucket is a low income community in Rhode Island. Tolman High School is a product of this environment is not an institution that will necessarily lead its students to future success. When it was first built in 1926 it was considered state of the art but it is no longer that. It is important to understand the comminuty to comprehend the school and the data paints a picture of a poverty and uncertainty. Between dropouts, low test scores, and old facilities it could be a daunting task to attend high school here. Coming from a teacher at school,"I wouldn't send my kids here and I think you can see for yourself that there is no future here for some students." While this is certainly a negative statement I believe that there is some postives at work it just will take time and a large community improvement effort.





References


RI Kids Count. (2012-2013). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/default.asp

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/

Rhode Island InfoWorks. (2013). Retrieved from http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/









RUBRIC
Author: Chris Fletcher
Editor: Chris McCarthy
Total Score for this Evaluation: 19/35 pts

The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.

As a peer editor, your tasks are:
  • Read author's report.
  • Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
  • provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
  • Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

Name: Score:

Introduction: 4/5 points
5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.
0: No introduction section is apparent.

Comments on report's introduction:

just have to mention who the report is intended to inform


Organization: 0/5 points
5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.
4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.
3: Report is missing one section.
2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.
1: Report is missing two or more sections.

Comments on report's organization:
clearly your work is incomplete



Mechanics: 0/5 points
5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.
There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.
4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.
3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.
2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.
0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.

Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:

no citations



Creativity: 4/5
5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.
4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.
3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.

Comments on report's creativity:

nice original pictures


Conclusion: 0/5
5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community
3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.
1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.
0: No conclusion.

Comments on report's conclusion:

no conclusion



Data/Analysis: 10/10
5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).
4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.
3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.








Peer Evaluation / Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement


Author: Chris Fletcher

Editor: Tatyana Leite

Total Score for this Evaluation: 16/35 pts



The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.



As a peer editor, your tasks are:

  • Read author's report.
  • Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
  • provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
  • Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.
RUBRIC



Name: Score:



Introduction: 5/5 points

5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.

4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.

3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.

2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.

0: No introduction section is apparent.



Comments on report's introduction:





Organization: 1/5 points

5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.

4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.

3: Report is missing one section.

2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.

1: Report is missing two or more sections.



Comments on report's organization:







Mechanics: 0/5 points

5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.

There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.

4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.

3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.

2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.

0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.



Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:

No references or citations, some grammatical errors





Creativity: 4/5

5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.

4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.

3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.



Comments on report's creativity:





Conclusion: 0/5

5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.

4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community

3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.

1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.

0: No conclusion.



Comments on report's conclusion:







Data/Analysis: 6/10

5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).

4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.

3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.

2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.

0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.



Comments on data/analysis/General comments: